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My take on it....
In Response To: Grail or non Grail? *LINK* ()

A really interesting topic-thanks Jeff.

Maybe for Heuer enthusiasts it is an especially interesting subject due to the choice of rare and less-seen models, compared to many of the larger and more well-known brands.

My initial thought was that I was surprised by the ‘grail’ criteria. So much so I also googled it and came up with the same article as quoted by Jeff-a slightly longer version being-

‘In watch collecting circles the term “grail watch” is thrown about to describe a particular rare and high value vintage piece that is hugely coveted by collectors.

Some buyers will loosely use the term for any watch which they would like to have, but just happens to be out of their price range. For others it means a watch they have coveted (more likely obsessed over) often for years, yet hardly ever seen in real life, let alone put it on their wrist.’

I very much fall into the lower term as I have always thought of a grail as a personal quest-not an extremely rare nor very high value piece necessarily, but one which I have coveted for some time-probably not seen every day and one that I would have to stretch financially to obtain. (I don’t think a grail is the correct term for a watch that is commonplace and you can pick up on a whim due to your financial situation, whatsoever that may be.)

So for me, is the criteria would have been amended to

1 Must not be commonplace
2 Coveted by others within the same field/community (I don’t agree with it being the broad community (again from a personal standpoint)-I don’t doubt some of my grails would be ‘Wow’ to some I know but ‘Meh’ to a large proportion of the Heuer community
3 Must be attainable-OK, I can go with that one-no ‘unicorns’ here then!

Finally as I consider it more of a personal subject and a list of grails for the community as a whole, should it specifically be watches I do NOT currently own, or can I count what is already in my possession? I haven’t made up my mind on that one yet.

Or maybe I’m missing the point entirely!?

Either way, I’m enjoying this thread so will put together my own list shortly, after I decide what the list will be...so much choice!

Look forward to other thoughts too.

Steve

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